Content providers to warn of illegal downloads
(CBS/CNET/AP) - The companies that provide movies and music as well as Internet Service Providers have come up with a way to let people know if their online accounts are being used to access potentially pirated copyright works.
The new "copyright alerts" is a collaboration between Hollywood studios, recording labels, artists and ISPs.
If an account is used to, say, download something copyrighted off a peer-to-peer network or elsewhere, there will be a message that the download is suspect.
According to CNET, ISP's will send similar alerts after getting the word from a copyright holder.
Consumers who ignore the warnings could end up with slower Internet connections - or be shunted off to a special web site that provides information about the need to protect copyrights.
However, ISPs won't be able to cut off a subscriber because of his or her activity - or hand over subscriber names to copyright holders.